The Madison City Council passed the 2008 operating budget early Friday morning following a grueling nine hours of debate on public safety and other community issues, making it one of Mayor Dave Cieslewicz’s “toughest budgets” yet.
Many of the 55 proposed amendments failed, but the city’s $224 million budget weathered the storm and stayed mostly intact. Although some alders labeled Cieslewicz’s budget “unbalanced,” more than $300,000 went toward the upkeep of social and community services.
30 new police officers will also be added to the Madison Police Department, at a cost of nearly $1.5 million.
Still, for several council members, last week’s budget talks marked the first ever experience in deciding how to handle the city’s money. As to whether that had an effect on the length of the talks is debatable.
“Certainly the fact that nine of the 20 alders were rookies contributed to long discussions,” said Cieslewicz’s spokesperson George Twigg, “but there’s nothing wrong with that … some of the more experienced alders talked for a while, too.”
Twigg pointed out another reason for the all-nighter was this year’s budget was “one of the toughest budgets [during the mayor’s five years] and it required a lot of work and creativity.”
City Council President Mike Verveer, who has sat in on several budgets, remained relatively quiet throughout the tense deliberations.
“In all my years with city council, this has been one of the more painful budget exercises,” he said, “but I think that it’s a good budget with an emphasis on public safety.”
Ald. Eli Judge, District 8, experienced his first budget talks and said he was pleased with the council’s decision to give $10,000 in funding to the Rape Crisis Center, but was disappointed with the addition of the 30 new police officers because it has enormous implications on future budgets.
Yet, experience or no experience, Judge said everyone involved in the process expected long deliberations.
“It was largely considered, by several players, to be one of the longest and most grueling budgets ever,” he said.
The budget still remains unsigned given the long meeting. Cieslewicz announced he will sign the budget some time this week.
